Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1887-01-05
"JlM THE PENMAN."
"Jim Cummings" Ambition a. .
Letter Writer Put the Hand.
cuffs on Him.
Fred Wfttrock L His Real Name, and
he Is q Chicago Retail
Coal Merchant.
Four OF His Pals Also Under Arrest.
A Fine Piece OF Detec.
tive Work.
sim THE PENMAN."
From the CHICAGO Daily News.


with one Of the most valuable treasures carried |
during the year. was robbed Of nearly $4,000 in |
cash. Mr.. VIM. A. Pinkerton has given |
case was worked mp by the detective agency Of |
the Western division, Of which he 10 the chief.
OF tn Ave men now under arrest for the crime,
four have borne the reputation Of being rep
utable business men.
The news Of the robbery had no sooner
reached st Louis and Chicago than Mr.: L. c.
Weir Manager OF the Adams Express Compa-
ny, placed the matter In the hands Of the PIN
Fotherngham and rified the car left the train
miles IN % from St Louis Detectives were sent out
so soon obtained description Of the man:
The Pinkertons then secured list OF
the employees, past and present, Of the
had been discharged was W. W, Haight. who
had formerly been on the run between Frisco
junction and Vinita. on which the robbery had
had been acquainted with Fotheringham. 1t
was learned that no had resided in Chicago, at
243 Huron street, with his wife's aunt. He had
tectives finally ascertained that he had lived
with q family named Williams, ut ~ Arbor
place, and that on Oct 81 he had left that
place saynG he was going 70 sts ti0rda dny
money, and Immediately afterward she pre-
pared to leave, reporting that she was going to
II,
Amor men whom Haight had worked for
in Chit were Fred Wittrock, coal dealer at
727 West Lake street, and Thomas Weaver. the
proprietor OF laundry at No. 753 on % the same
rived their first Glow. They learned that Witt
rock and Weaver had left Chicago on the 18th
Of the month saying they we're going & 70 Han IAN
with them two sachels and two fswling pieces.
The description Of Wittrock Tailed with that
Of the description Of the robber furnished by
tlnrfn mol
to Chicago on October D.
In the meantime Fothertngham was making
statements. In all Of which he declared his in
nocencs. He said the robber who had told him
his name was Jim Cummings would exonsr.
ate him. Then came the first OF the celebrated
Jim Cumming letters.
letter. Il started out with d---d poor partner
70 SEQ II We couldn't make stake by holding
up an express car. My partner backed out, and
Invent to Ohio, where met man named Tom
Rattle, who had once been an express messen-
ger on the run between st. Louis and Vinita. I
learned the name Of the route agent. John D.
Barrett, and conceived the plan OF counterfeit
ing the headings OF the express company.
Cummings then went into the details and
told how the robbery was committed, taking
great care to shield Fotheringham from any
blame From this letter the detectives gathered
several clews. They knew that Wittrock and
Haight were acquainted; that Haight had been
messenger on the run mentioned, and that no
such man as Tom Rattle had ever worked for
the company The detectives secured In Chi.
oago number Of bills which Wittrock had
made out IN his coal business and forwarded
them to st. Louis. Experts decided that the
Jim Cummings letters and the coal bills were
written by the same man. The only difference
was that the bills we're made out In flowing
hand, while the letter was In backhand
In letter Cummings had told about skin
which would be found up the Missouri river
few miles from st. Charles. He also told OF .
package which he had left in the express Office,
withthe intention of showing that Fotherngham
had no connection with the robbery. The de-
{tHxaf Cali
visioned IS il for fishing trip. They also OBJ.
tanned good descriptions Of the men who had
bought the skif at St. Charles. Oct. II. One q
the persons was described in a manner to CORE
spond with the alleged robber, according to
Fotheringham's story. andlalso to.suggest Witt
rock to the minds Of those who knew him in Chi
lied led with that Of Weaver The most important
clew was the fact that two guns were found
in the skin When the reports OF the detectives
membered that Weaver and wittTock left on the
18th, each carrying gun. Weaver from this
on was Swallowed, but no trace could be OBJ
express Office and mentioned in Cummings let
tor was found to consist OF several rolls Of cheap
street ballads. On one was scribbled, ~ II for
memorandum. "2l05 Chestnut street Inquiry
1T that address in ST. Louis revealed that two
men had rented q room there on the 18th. Each
carried valise. The house was kept by Mrs.
Berry, and she. her son, and her daughter gave
descriptions which closely corresponded 70
those In the possession Of the Pinkertons.
A few days later tho detectives visited Mrs.
Berry She rewarded them by turning over Z
lead seal Of tho Adams Express Company, and
several express tags which she found in the
room occupied by the strangers. The smaller
cago ON the I'D While at Mrs. Berry's the
large man received mail addressed to Mr. vii.
| liains." On the 25th tthe night Of the robbery
to 1 Kansas SCI City Il was away into to the sssss 1s
part OF November when the detectives had
progressed thus far in their search for the rob.
| bers
The antscedents OF Wittrock were ascertained
| His mother lived in Leavenworth, and the fam.
| lily was IN high standing. His mother had
II hm b;oss VIII which to e Into bg.
| Of 3 wife and one child He had located In
| Nashville, Tenn, where he was conducting
business ns e. roofing M Mr. ss3
| identified Weaver 40 the man who had stopped
| ut their house in St. Louis in company with thu
tall man. II was decided to let Weaver alone
| and wait for Wittrock to show up
] The lines were now growing closer, and the
| work centercd on Chicago. Wittfocks house
10 Lincoln street. had been shadowed for almost
| month when, on last Tuesday night ths
PinkertOu man was astonished TO see another
shadow appear aud parade up and down before
the house several times. a few minutes lateI
into the house. In tho meantime Ed Kinney
brother in-law Of Wittrock, left fol
Quincy. NJ. closely attended BY Pinker
and on Wednesday he received two tsle
| grams which greatly excited him. He went In
70 billiard hall and hanging hi, cost on 4 mai
ing a. the bar the Pinksrton man slip
ped the kilograms from his pocket and rsal
them They were ~ follows:
Come homo at once. r. 10 hsrc."
Come home at once. Fred has returned.
Both were signed Rose Wittrock' Thursda,
night Robert and William Pinkcrton rented
room near Wttrocks house. In order to diver